Toledo Rep staging Moss Hart comedy, ‘Light Up the Sky’

Local theater patrons will soon get a taste of Broadway when the Toledo Repertoire Theatre presents Moss Hart’s underrated comedic gem, “Light Up The Sky.” The play begins at 8 p.m. Jan. 14.

David DeChristopher is directing.

“I had read the play and suggested it to Rep’s selection committee,” DeChristopher said. “One of the reasons I really wanted to direct this piece is that many of Hart’s classics have been done to death, and this has a little more edge to it. To my knowledge, this is the first time it has ever been staged in Toledo. I think that one of the reasons that it doesn’t get done very often is that it is an ensemble piece, it isn’t a star vehicle.”

One of the most celebrated playwrights of the 1930s and ’40s, Hart is perhaps best known as the longtime collaborator of George S. Kaufman, who was a key member of the literary salon known as the Algonquin Round Table. Some of their more noted successes include “You Can’t Take It With You,” “The Man Who Came To Dinner” and “George Washington Slept Here.” Hart was also a director and best-selling author. “Light Up The Sky,” a solo effort by Hart, was first produced in 1948. Hart passed away in 1961 at the age of 57.

“Having done a lot of recent work with students and young people, one of the most difficult aspects of this production has been remembering the arc of the process for adults and respecting that process,” said DeChristopher, who writes crossword puzzles for Toledo Free Press. “This is worth mentioning because Moss Hart himself is a few different characters in the piece, both the young and old playwright. You want everyone to have a great experience, while at the same time putting together the highest quality production possible. I think that this play offers something for everyone.”

Tickets for “Light Up The Sky” are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, $10 for students and $5 for children 12 and younger. Additional dates are Jan. 15, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29 and 30. Showtimes are 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. The Rep is located Downtown at 16 10th St. For information, call (419) 243-9277 or visit www.toledorep.org.

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on Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 at 10:43 pm and is filed under Star, Theater.
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